The present invention relates to a seat for a vehicle, aircraft or the like which includes a seat part and a backrest, whereby the backrest is provided with an integrated headrest.
A seat of the aforementioned type is known from the DE-OS No. 26 22 556. The backrest is thereby drawn up so far that its upper end area forms an integrated headrest. No measures are taken in connection with this seat to effectively support the lumbar spinal column-lordosis and the cervical spinal column-lordosis of the seat user during the driving operation.
A seat for a motor vehicle is disclosed in the DE-OS No. 32 05 859 which includes a support system for the lumbar area of a person seated on the vehicle seat. In this arrangement, exclusively the area of the lumbar vertebrae spinal column-lordosis of the seat passenger is supported by an air cushion which is integrated into the backrest. Measures for the support of the cervical vertebrae spinal column-lordosis of the respective seat user, however, are also not provided in this arrangement.
It is the object of the present invention to undertake such measures at a seat having a headrest integrated into the backrest that the area of the cervical vertebrae column-lordosis of the respective seat passenger is effectively supported during the driving operation and that, on the other, injuries of the cervical vertebrae column are at least reduced during an impact (from in front, the rear or laterally).
The underlying problems are solved according to the present invention in that a steplessly or continuously changeable vacuum cushion is arranged at the backrest within the area of the headrest which is adapted to be individually adapted by means of an extraction pump and at least one valve to the physiological cervical spinal column-lordosis of the respective seat user.
The advantages principally achieved with the present invention reside in that by the arrangement of a continuously changeable vacuum cushion at the backrest, and more particularly within the area of the headrest, an effective support of the cervical spinal column-lordosis of the respective seat passenger is achieved. Also in longer drives, no fatigue effect of the neck muscles occurs as a result of this support. Additionally, stresses of the neck-, of the neck nape-, of the shoulder- and of the arm-muscles are far-reachingly avoided. Therebeyond, in case of an impact, the bending, respectively, stretching as well as the lateral axial displacement of the cervical spinal column is minimized. An individual headrest adapted to be modelled to the requirements of the user is created by the changeable vacuum cushion so that for different seat passengers an optimized adjustment can be found in each case. In case of a crash, the head is more softly supported by the small plastic parts arranged in the vacuum cushion and injuries or strains of the cervical spinal column is prophylactically precluded.